Lorenzo d



(No Model.)

L. D. BROWN.

WHIPFLETRBE.

Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

' INVENTOH A TTOHNE Y S.

NITED STATES PATENT: ()FFIC-E.

LORENZO 1).; BROWN, or SHAWNEE, oH'Io, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM P. MCLAUGHLIN, OFYSAME PLACE.

WHIIFFLE'ITREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,413, dated January 8, 1895.

I Application filed July 16, 1894. Serial No. 617,715- (NomodeL) To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that 1', LORENZO D. BROWN, Shawnee, in the county of Perry and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Whiftletree, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in whiftletrees particularly such as are attached to vehicles; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive whiffietree, which may be attached to the cross bar of a vehicle without boring a hole through the whiffletree and thus weakening it, which is held to the. vehicle'in such a way that it cannot accidentally. get loose, which is also mounted so as to turn very easily, and which is attached in such a manner that if desired it may be releasedfrom the vehicle so as to tilt and unhitch the traces and thus permit the horse to go free.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part-of this specification,

v portion of the whiffletree; and Fig. 6 is a dein which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the whifiietree embodying my invention, showing it attached to the cross bar of a pair of thills. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but with the whiffletree and its cross bar partly detached. Fig. 3 is a similar section, showing the whiflietree in position for use. end ofthe whifiietree, showing particularly the trace clip thereon,-with the hook turned over to permit the disengagement of the trace. Fig. 5 is a broken inverted plan of the middle tail plan view of-the base whiffletree is'mounted.

The whiffletree 10 is of about the usual size and it has fastened to its under side, near the center, a wear plate 11 with a central lug 12 plate on which the on its under side, and with a bearing ring 13 which is half round in cross section and has its flat side placed next the whifiletree. The ring 13 is adapted to fit in a corresponding.

.groove 13 in the top of the base plate 17,

Fig. 4. is a detail sectional view of one.

while the lug 12 is adapted to fit inthe hole in front of the whiffletree is adapted to engage the upturned and forwardly-projecting hook 16 on the said base platm To permit the whiftletree to swing freely and readily engage the hook, the whiffletree and base plate are cut away slightlyin front, as, shown at 14".

The base plate 17 is firmly fastened to the cross bar 18 which is arranged in the usual manner betweenv the thills 19, but it will of course be understood that the base plate may be fastened to the whiffletree, if desired. To facilitate the firm attachment to the cross bar, the base plate has on its front and rear sides, depending lugs 20 whichembrace the cross bar and which are-fastened thereto by'a bolt 21. 7

The ring 13 is as thick as the groove 13'' is deep and it projects behind the wear plate 11, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, thusenabling its rear portion to be locked down firmly by the slide bolt 23, and as the front portion of the ring is held down by the hook 16, it will be seen that the ring and whiffletree are held very firmly in place, while the whiflfletree may turn freely in the groove.

extending portion 26 of the base plate 17, and on the slide bolt is a collar 27 andbehind this is a spiral spring 28, which presses against the guide 25 and the tension of which holds the slide bolt forward so as to lock the ring 13 in place. is rounded slightly on top, so that the ring 13 may readily be snapped into place beneath it. A cord 29 is secured to the rear end of the slide bolt, and this cord maybe extended back into the vehicle so that in case the horse becomes unmanageable the cord may be pulled, thus drawing back the slide bolt against the tension of the spring. 28 and the ring 13 is thereby released behind, so that the tension of thetraces tilts up the whiffletree and brings the trace clips in such a position that the traces slide from them and freev the horse.

The whifiletree has at its ends clips 30, see Figs. 1 and 4, having arms 31 to embrace the whiflietree', which arms are securely bolted in place, and outwardly projecting ends 32 which The slide bolt 23 moves in guides 24 and 25 on the rearwardly The front end of the slide bolt are provided with trace hooks 33 adapted to engage the traces in the usual manner. When the whifiletree is in a level position on the base plate, the traces will be held securely in place by the hooks 33, but in case the slide bolt 23 is pulled back the whiffietree tips, thus tilting the hooks 33 and permitting the traces to slide off.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with the wear plate adapted to be secured to the cross bar and provided with an upwardly extending curved hook at its forward end and a spring pressed retaining and releasing bolt at its rear end, of a ring for the under side of the whitfietree pivoted at its forward side in the said hook to swing upward and also having a limited horizontal movement therein, the rear side of the ring being engaged by said bolt, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the whifiietree, of the bearing ring on the under side thereof, the base plate having a groove to receive the ring, an upturned hook on the base plate to engage one side of the ring, and a slide bolt on the base plate to engage the opposite side of the ring, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the whiflietree, of

the bearin g ring on the under side of the whiffletree, the depending lug within the ring, the base plate having a groove to receive the ring and a socket to receive the lug, and means, as the hook and slide bolt, to fasten the ring to the said base plate, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the whiffletree, of the bearing ring on the under side thereof, the base plate having a groove to receive the ring, the hook on the base plate to engage one side of the ring, the slide bolt on the base plate to receive the opposite side of the ring, and the fastening device to secure the base plate to a cross bar or other support, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the whiflletree, of the wear plate on the under side thereof, the bearing ring secured to the wear plate, the base plate having a groove to receive the ring, the hook on the base plate to engage one side of the ring, and the spring pressed slide bolt working in guides on the base plate and adapted to engage the opposite side of the ring, substantially as described.

LORENZO D. BROWN.

Witnesses:

D. L. MINER, J OHN D. Runs. 

